Explainer Link Copied 04.16.25

Let’s Talk About the Science Behind Manifestation

Here’s why it works and how to do it. ByCarolyn Todd

Shutterstock/ Wondermind

It’s hard to think of a self-help term that inspires more evangelists and eyerolls than manifestation. Devotees swear the law of attraction, Lucky Girl Syndrome, and the power of positive thinking makes dreams come true. Skeptics write the whole thing off as delulu. If you’re reading this, you’re probably somewhere in the middle and wondering how to manifest your goals. Can vision-boarding and high vibes really get you everything you want in life?  

We’re not here to take the magic out of manifesting—because there’s nothing wrong with having faith that a higher power has your back. That said, there’s some very real science behind the way manifestation can work. And if you’re someone who needs a logical explanation, we got you. 

We spoke to experts about where manifesting comes from, the science that could explain the way it works, and how to use it to reach your goals. 

What is manifesting? 

You can trace key manifestation concepts as far back as ancient traditions like Hinduism, says neuroscientist and psychologist Sabina Brennan, PhD, adjunct assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin and author of The Neuroscience of Manifesting. But modern-day manifesting is more directly rooted in a 19th-century American metaphysical movement called New Thought, which taught that positive thinking was powerful enough to heal illness and attract wealth. “By thought, the thing you want is brought to you; by action you receive it,” wrote Wallace D. Wattles in The Science of Getting Rich in 1910. 

Nearly 100 years later, Wattles's work helped inspire The Secret, the 2006 documentary and bestseller that brought manifesting into the mainstream. And it looks pretty much the same on social media today. 

Some psychologists have a different take on what manifestation really is, though. “You can't magically make something happen. But you can change your reality and your future through conscious focus and action. And that can feel magical,” Dr. Brennan says. “I think it's much more empowering to understand that the power lies within you.” 

For Dr. Brennan, manifesting means making conscious decisions about a future you would like to have and then taking steps to bring that future to life. “By consciously directing our thoughts and emotions, we can influence our actions—and the events in our lives.” That’s the point of manifestation practices like visualizing, intention-setting, and affirmations, she adds.

How does manifesting work?

OK, let’s get into the science. One of the key scientific principles at work in manifesting is neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change based on life experiences, says neuropsychologist Emiliana Simon-Thomas, PhD, science director of the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Here’s the gist: When we have thoughts and feelings or take action, we strengthen the neural pathways in our brains that make those thoughts, feelings, and actions possible. Over time, you “wire in” patterns of thinking and being, adds counseling psychologist Dan Tomasulo, PhD, author of The Positivity Effect and academic director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. 

That functionality can be a good and a bad thing. For example, the more you tell yourself that you suck or you’ll never make it in this business, the stronger that pathway becomes. But with manifesting, the goal is to retrain your brain to work in more beneficial ways. By practicing things like gratitude and optimism, you can change the default nature of your brain, says Dr. Tomasulo. It just takes repetition, Dr. Simon-Thomas says. 

Shifting out of unhelpful thought patterns that get in the way of your desires (aka what you’re trying to manifest) isn’t all that different from a therapy technique you’ve probably heard of: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), says Dr. Brennan. Like manifesting, CBT helps people shape their experience of the world via strategies like positive self-talk, reframing negative thoughts, and challenging limiting beliefs. 

Say you were passed over for a job you really wanted. Instead of responding with an inner dialogue like, This is more proof I’ll never be good enough, you might tell yourself, This just wasn’t meant to be. I can learn from this experience and be more prepared when something better comes along. Thanks to neuroplasticity, those habits can become second nature in the long run. 

Like CBT, manifesting utilizes practices (like getting clear on your vision for the future and trusting things will work out) to focus your attention in positive and future-oriented ways. Those habits wire in a more supportive outlook, feelings, and beliefs as you take steps toward your goals.

Take visioning or vision-boarding. Those are basically the same as setting goals, says Dr. Brennan. Whatever you call it, having clarity about the things you want helps your brain understand what’s important to you, she explains. 

And when you envision your desires clearly and repeatedly, your brain starts to seek out information that’s relevant to your goal. Suddenly, resources and opportunities that were always there start popping into your awareness. That can feel like, Omg, the universe is providing! 

Being optimistic works in a similar way, says Dr. Brennan. Because optimists expect good things to happen, they’re ready when good things arrive, she explains. For example, if you believe that you’re awesome and anyone would be lucky to date you, you’re more likely to swipe right with abandon or approach a cute stranger at the bar. “It’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy,” Dr. Brennan says. 

Cultivating more positive emotions with a gratitude practice or by imagining yourself accomplishing something big (see: visualization) is also rooted in science. Research suggests that feelings like hope, gratitude, and love can help you feel more energized, encourage constructive thinking, and boost creativity. All of those things can help you move toward your vision, Dr. Tomasulo says. “It creates an upward spiral.” 

Positive emotions also help us keep an open mind, Dr. Simon-Thomas says. When you’re in a good mood, your brain can take in more information, and you can spot more upsides, connections, and solutions. When you believe, The world brings good things to me, you have a greater willingness to approach situations in a courageous and trusting way, Dr. Simon-Thomas adds.

Plus, there’s something to be said about how manifestation can make us feel in control of our destinies. “That sense of agency, of believing that there's something you can do to bring about a positive impact, is key to making change,” says Dr. Tomasulo. If you deeply believe you can influence your outcomes, you’re more likely to take action. 

How to manifest your goals

Ready to start making the manifesting magic (er, science) happen? Here are some evidence-backed tips from our experts. 

1. Clarify your goals with journaling, vision boarding, or visualization.

First, you gotta know where you’re going. Tapping into a vision you’re excited about can help you clarify and connect to your goal more deeply.

Journaling about what your future could look like if everything goes as well as it possibly can, aka the Best Possible Self exercise, could increase optimism, positive mood, and well-being, according to some research.

If you’re not a big journaler, try a vision board. Collage, draw, or digitally mock up a mood board that has the vibes or specific things you want more of in your life. A new couch, a dog, a job with a corner office. You get the idea. While there's not much research on vision-boarding, Dr. Brennan says it’s similar to evidence-based practices like goal-setting and visualization. Keep your board somewhere you’ll see it often, so your brain is constantly primed to keep your goals in mind.

You can also spend a few minutes each day picturing yourself having already fulfilled your desire, Dr. Brennan says. See it in detail, engage your senses, and really feel in your body. (Research suggests that imagining yourself in the experience firsthand—as opposed to seeing yourself from the outside—is more effective.) Imagining what it will look and feel like to hit your goal can cultivate self-confidence and maybe even reveal your next steps, Dr. Brennan says. Our brains are good at that, she adds.

2. Set micro-goals. 

Dr. Tomasulo recommends regularly setting tiny goals you can meet quickly, like within the next 15 or 20 minutes, to create micro-hits of accomplishment and motivation. Those little wins make you want to do more, he explains. You're fueling your own process by harvesting positive emotions like pride and self-gratitude with every baby step, Dr. Tomasulo says. This also starts to wire in the belief, I’m someone who makes their goals happen. 

3. Practice self-compassion. 

Self-compassion is often overlooked in manifestation content, Dr. Brennan says. But “self-criticism is probably the biggest thing that holds us back from manifesting our goals.” Research suggests that being kinder to yourself boosts well-being and the ability to take on challenges. It also helps you self-soothe when times get hard and become more resilient as you pursue your goals. “Self-compassion reduces the emotional sting of setbacks,” Dr. Brennan says. “It makes it easier to stay focused, and pick yourself up and go again.”

4. Keep a gratitude journal. 

If you want to start believing that the universe is taking care of you, start with gratitude. A gratitude practice can squeeze every drop of goodness out of your day, Dr. Tomasulo says. He recommends taking a couple minutes in the morning (mentally or in a journal) to identify three good things in your life (the hot shower you just took, your fur baby, that extra-nice barista). 

5. Challenge a limiting belief.

Dr. Brennan recommends taking a few minutes to journal about some of your more negative or limiting beliefs. Ask yourself, who or where did this come from? (You might be able to trace it to a certain childhood memory, for instance.) Then look for evidence that challenges those ideas, Dr. Brennan says. Were there times it wasn’t true? Is it kind of true but not as bad as you thought? For example, if you believe I’m stuck, I’ll never change, you can write down all the ways you have changed before. 

You can also come up with an affirmation or two to replace that thought, Dr. Brennan says. ICYMI, an affirmation is an empowering, positive statement that expresses a belief you’d like to have about yourself. That could be something like I’m growing and changing every day. You can repeat your affirmation every morning or night, keep it written somewhere visible, and use it to counter negative thoughts when they pop up. For beliefs that are particularly sticky or tied to trauma, Dr. Brennan suggests seeing a therapist trained in an evidence-based technique like CBT to help you shift those patterns. 

6. Have emotional regulation techniques handy.

You want a couple tools to help you get out of the negative emotional states that narrow your perspective and keep you from taking action. It’s not about “shoving it away into some corner of your psyche,” Dr. Simon-Thomas says. You can accept and feel your feelings—and help yourself recover more quickly, instead of hanging out there all day. 

Dr. Simon-Thomas is a big fan of simply taking a few deep breaths when you’re upset, making your exhale longer than the inhale. (For more ideas, check out these self-soothing techniques or mindfulness exercises.) 

7. Practice meditation. 

The age-old practice of mindfulness meditation trains you to be aware of where your attention is and redirect it. That’s a crucial skill in the manifestation process, Dr. Brennan says. Mindfulness exercises can help you notice and disengage from unhelpful thought patterns (like negative self-talk) and focus on your goal.

8. Enjoy the process. 

It sounds counterintuitive, but manifesting isn’t only about achieving your goal. It’s amazing to accomplish something you’ve been dreaming of, but oftentimes the emotional high quickly wears off and you’re back to chasing the next goal, Dr. Brennan says. 

But by learning to enjoy the process of becoming a better version of yourself, developing a more optimistic outlook, and taking on new challenges, you can keep the good vibes flowing full-time. “In my view, the goal is not to manifest the goal,” Dr. Simon-Thomas says. Instead, the goal is to prioritize well-being as you pursue your goal. Or, as Dr. Brennan puts it, “The joy is in the journey.”